Showing posts with label geology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geology. Show all posts

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Sorry, no trilobites

 We saw the sign for Oak Springs Trilobites a few weeks ago coming back from the Pahranagat NWR and I'd been wanting to make the trip out to try and find some.  We took Bean and went out there on Saturday to try our luck.  We didn't really have any luck, but we had a really nice drive out in the boonies and ate a picnic there and enjoyed poking around and beating on some slate rocks trying to find some.  We did find some pretty dendrites.  Here's what they are:

Dendrites in geology are tree-like, branching mineral formations, typically composed of manganese or iron oxides, that grow on rock surfaces or within fractures.  Often mistaken for fossils, they are actually inorganic, non-equilibrium crystals that form as rapid, fractal growth patterns when mineral-rich water flows through narrow spaces. They are pretty, and we were glad that we at least found those!  

  



Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park & Bowl of Fire geology site

 We decided to go south for some fun since it's getting too cold outside here at the moment.  We enjoyed learning about this old fort and the beginning history of Las Vegas that it helped to bring about.  It's not a huge park that takes a lot of time, but it was worth the trip when you add in the coming home trip up  Highway169 and Northshore Road through Lake Mead National Recreation where there are and some amazing geological sites.  It's a kind of a backroad way to Las Vegas.  It's two-lane and 55 mph, but the scenery makes it worth it.  We had a great day of it!